Tambopata Clay Lick and Sandoval Lake Tour 3D/2N

Our journey to the Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick in the Tambopata National Reserve will begin at approximately 9:00 a.m. We will pick you up from the airport or the bus terminal.

We will travel by car for about 2 hours until we reach the Tambopata River near the boundary of the Tambopata National Reserve. Our boat will be waiting to take us to our lodge, and your guide will explain everything you need to know about the lodge and its surroundings. After lunch, we will take an introductory walk, first through a secondary forest and then into a primary rainforest filled with giant trees, lianas, and vines.

There is always a good chance of spotting Brown Capuchin Monkeys and Squirrel Monkeys along the way. As night approaches, we will prepare for a short night walk where we will enjoy a unique rainforest experience. During this excursion, it is possible to encounter different species of insects, arachnids, and nocturnal mammals.

Afterward, we will return to the lodge for a delicious dinner and then spend the night at the lodge.

We will wake up at around 5:00 a.m., enjoy some hot drinks to boost our energy, and then board our boat for a 1 hour and 30-minute journey along the Tambopata River.

As we pass the control checkpoint, we will have the entire sunrise to ourselves while navigating the river. This is an excellent opportunity to spot riverbank birds, capybaras, white caimans, and perhaps even a jaguar or an anaconda. Although sightings of these last two species are rare, with a bit of luck we may encounter them.

Upon arriving at our destination, the Tambopata Macaw Clay Lick, we will witness a spectacular multicolored display of parrots and macaws. Green, red, blue, and yellow birds will surround us, flying overhead and filling the air with their calls. Observing this fascinating behavior is truly an unforgettable experience. Your guide will explain why these birds visit the clay cliff every day throughout the year to feed on the mineral-rich clay. We will remain here from approximately 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

At the end of this activity, we will travel back downstream toward the lodge, making a brief stop to collect our belongings before returning to Puerto Maldonado. We will then board a motorized canoe and head to the Sandoval Lake port (lunch will be served on board). From there, we will enter the Tambopata National Reserve and hike for approximately one hour to reach our lodge, where we will settle into our rooms located very close to Sandoval Lake.

After getting settled, we will visit Sandoval Lake by paddling in a rowboat across its calm waters. During this excursion, it is possible to observe two species of monkeys, black caimans, hoatzins, herons, cormorants, kingfishers, and many other wildlife species.

As night falls, after enjoying a beautiful sunset, we will head out by boat for one of the most exciting activities of the tour: caiman spotting. We will search for black caimans, the largest caiman species in the Amazon, which can grow up to 4 meters (13 feet) in length.

We will wake up very early in the morning, allowing us to be on the lake at sunrise, when we hope to spot the family of Giant River Otters that frequently inhabit the lake and are most active at this time of day.

Sandoval Lake offers abundant wildlife, including more than 40 species of resident birds. Most waterbirds actively feed on fish around the lake during the early morning hours, providing excellent wildlife-viewing opportunities. With a bit of luck, we may also spot the prehistoric-looking Hoatzin, a fascinating bird that is easy to observe and photograph from the canoes.

After breakfast, we will take a walk to appreciate the remarkable flora of this region of the Peruvian Amazon. Along the trail, we may encounter enormous trees that are more than 300 years old, as well as the impressive Brazil Nut Tree.

Brazil nut harvesting is one of the most important economic activities in the Tambopata region, which is home to the largest concentration of Brazil nut trees in Peru. Local people collect the nuts for commercial purposes. We will try to find a Brazil nut pod so that you can attempt to open it with a machete and experience firsthand how challenging the work of Brazil nut harvesting can be.

Later, we will return to the city of Puerto Maldonado, where you will have time to repack before being transferred to the airport or bus terminal. END OF SERVICES.